Prime Lens Trios
A strongpoint with the Micro 4/3rds system is that there are some incredibly tiny prime lenses. If you want to shoot really light, here are a couple of prime lens trios that you’ll absolutely love to use. All of these lenses are sharp, and deliver outstanding bokeh. Most importantly, the lenses I selected are extremely lightweight, with the heaviest ones weighing in at a mere 130g (0.29lb).
- Olympus 12mm f/2.0 + 17mm f/1.8 + 45mm f/1.8
- 24mm/35mm/90mm equivalents for all-purpose street photography
- Kit weight: 366g / 0.81lb
- Panasonic 9mm f/1.7+ Olympus 17mm f/1.8 + 45mm f/1.8
- 18mm equivalent if you plan on shooting interiors
- Kit weight: 366g / 0.81lb
- Olympus 17mm f/1.8 + 25mm f/1.8 + 45mm f/1.8
- Ideal for street and portrait work
- Kit weight: 372g / 0.82lb
Hybrid Kits (Zooms + Primes)
As I mentioned before, some of the Micro 4/3rds prime lenses are downright tiny. This feature makes the prospect of adding a prime to your zoom kit simple. I frequently tossed a 50mm prime in my travel kit back in my DSLR days because it was small, fast, and light. Use Micro 4/3rds prime lenses to extend your focal length range, or as a fast lens for getting nice portraits or other shots where subject isolation is desired. These fast lenses, when paired with the IBIS system in Olympus cameras, make indoor shooting at low ISO easy!
- 12-100mm f/4 PRO+ Panasonic 9mm f/1.7
- Adds the 18mm equivalent for low-light indoor shooting
- Kit weight: 691g / 1.52lb
- 12-45mm f/4 PRO + Panasonic 9mm f/1.7
- Same idea as above, but a very small kit
- Kit weight: 415g / 0.91lb
- 8-25mm f/4 PRO + 45mm f/1.8
- If you don’t need the extra reach but want to shoot wide interiors, this gives you a 16-50mm + 90mm equivalent kit, which would work great in many cities
- Kit weight: 581g / 1.28lb
- 17mm f/1.8 + 40-150mm f/4 PRO
- A 35mm equivalent street lens, with a telephoto zoom for tight closeups
- Kit weight: 558g / 1.23lb
- 12-45mm f/4 PRO + Olympus 75mm f/1.8
- Adds a 150mm equivalent for extra reach
- Kit weight: 590g / 1.3lb
- 12-45mm f/4 PRO + Olympus 60mm f/2.8 Macro
- The 60mm macro gives you a 120mm equivalent in a very lightweight lens
- Kit weight: 470g / 1.0lb
So what to bring to Paris?
After sifting through all of these permutations, I think the best overall combo for a trip to Paris is to pair the Olympus 12-100mm f/4 PRO with the Olympus 8-25mm f/4 PRO. It’s not the absolute smallest kit, but it will cover all the bases for a city like Paris, and you can use either one independently. Like I said before, there are LOTS of possible choices here, and almost all of them will deliver great results!
Heading out for a few week road trip up the West Coast, photography not the prime mover. Similar thoughts on alternatives, after packing a few combinations, decided to go very light: Panasonic 9mm, Panasonic 15mm 1.7 and Panasonic 14-140 3.5-5.6. Simplifies the changing lenses issue except when needing ultra-wide or low light. It is about weight and convenience. The 14-140 is quite good for a super-zoom and will cover the majority of my needs.
I’m taking my Olympus OM-5 on a trip to Montana, where I’ll be in meetings most of the time, maybe some “city” walking, but I do want to get to Glacier National Park for a few hours, so I’m packing my Olympus 14-150.